Key case construction



D. B. COLLINGS 3,067,793

KEY CASE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 25, 1960 Dec. 11, 1962 INV EN TOR.

ii J .Da/m. B. Gav/hugs 3,057,793 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 flee 3,067,793 KEY CASE (.QNSTRUCTIQN Dana B. Coliings, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Boston,

Incorporated, Agawarn, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 25, 1960. Ser. No. 45,220 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-40) This invention relates to key cases, and particularly to means for supporting key hangers or loops within such cases.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means for supporting keys within a key case which distributes the keys to facilitate their selection and manipulation wthout consequent increase in the bulk or size of the case.

Another object of this invention is to provide a key support plate for key cases and the like having constructional characteristics enabling one such plate to be mounted on opposed wall portions of each of a pair of hinged closure members for supporting a plurality of keys in individually spaced relation when the case is open.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View of a key case, in closed condition, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the key case shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing the case in an open condition; and

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showing a key hanger support member embodying the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a key case is indicated generally at 6 comprising opposed closure members 8 and 10, which, as shown, may be provided with conventional fastener elements 12 and 14. The closure members are hinged together along one side edge for opening and closing the case. In the embodiment shown, the closure members are generally tray-shaped, including opposing flanges or rim portions which are brought into edge-to-edge engagement when the tray members are swung into case closing relation forming a chamber for housing a plurality of keys 16 (FIG. 3). While the members 8 and may be fabricated of different types of materials, preferably they are relatively stiff or rigid material, such as certain types of plastics or leather covered metal. The case shown is the latter type, comprising metallic tray-shaped plate members 17, to which is laminated a suitable lining material 18 and a leather cover ing material 18.

In accordance with this invention, key plates or support members, indicated generally at 20, are provided for supporting a plurality of keys substantially across the full width of the case providing for uniform distribution of the keys in individually spaced relation when the closure members are open, such as shown in FIG. 3. The key plate comprises a mounting plate 21, a plurality of key-loop retaining or support elements 22 spaced along the plates, and means for locking the key-loops in place, indicated at 24-. Each mounting plate 21 is secured to corresponding inner wall portions of the cover members 8 and 10, adjacent the upper edges of the case for supporting keys in downwardly depending relation. The upper edges of the case may, as shown, be provided with opposed slots 26 (FIG. 2) to permit the key-loops to extend from the case while it is closed. The plates may be attached to the closure members of the case in any convenient manner such as shown in FIG. 3, in which the plates are provided with openings or holes 28 disposed to receive tabs 30 struck from the metal plate 17.

The key plates are preferably identical in construction; the key-loop retaining or supporting elements 22 being disposed along the plate and individually spaced at intervals s from adjacent retaining elements. The length of intervals s is not less than the length l of the supporting elements 22, measured in a direction along the plate 21. This permits the key-loop receiving elements of one plate to fit between adjacent elements of the other plate and provides for interdigitation of the retaining elements when the case is closed, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, when the case is in a closed condition, the support elements extend collinearly across the width of the case, providing generally uniform key distribution similar to conventional type cases. When the case is open, however, the keys carried therein are separated into two groups in which each key is spaced from adjacent keys.

In the embodiment shown, the support elements 22 are integral with the mounting plate 21 extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper edge of the plate. The support elements are generally tubular in shape and are provided with hanger retaining slots 32 (FIG. 4) which terminate in enlarged openings 34 (FIG. 2) through which the head 36 of a hanger or key loop 37 may be introduced or removed from the slots 32.

In order to provide for the interdigitation of key supporting elements 22 when the case is closed, the elements of one plate are disposed at distances from the hinge line of the case which are equal to the distances of the corresponding intervals between the support elements of the other plate measured from the hinge. Moreover, in the embodiment shown the plate is dimensioned for interdigitation of the support elements when two such plates are disposed in reversed end-to-end relation enabling identical plates to be mounted on corresponding wall portions of the hinged closure members. It will thus be appreciated that the plate is constructed with the support elements 22 disposed at positions measured in one direction along the plate corresponding to the positions of the intervals therebetween measured in the opposite direction. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this relationship is indicated in FIG. 4 by the letters a, b and c.

As shown, the locking means 24 is in the form of a bar slidably disposed on the plate 21. Cut-out 38 and slot 40 accommodate the lower ends of the left hand key retaining member 22 and the loop 42, which extend to the surface of the plate 21. The lower ends of the other retaining elements 22 terminate sufficiently above the plate 21 to permit free sliding movement of the bar 24 back and forth on the mounting plate. The loop 42 extends forwardly and outwardly from the upper edge of the plate 21 providing a stop to limit the travel of the lock bar 24 in a locking direction, or to the left, as shown in FIG. 3. Engagement of the inner end of the slot 40 with the loop 42 limits the reverse or unlocking movement of the bar. Projections 44 extend from the upper edge of the bar inwardly of the tubular elements 22 and are disposed to close or restrict the openings 34 when the bar is in its locking position (FIG. 1). When the bar is slid to unlock the support elements its projections will be clear of the opening 3-4. A coil spring 45 releasably holds the bar in its locked position. The bar 24 and plate 21 are provided with slots 50 and 52 respectively for accommodating the spring 45. One end of the spring is seated on a projection 46 extending from the mounting plate at the outer end of the slot 52; the other end of the spring is seated on a similar projection 48 which extends from the bar 24. An actuating piece 54 extends outwardly and at right angles from one end of the locking bar. Movement of the actuating piece to the right, as shown in FIG. 4, compresses the spring 45 and carries the projections 44 clear of the enlarged openings 34, permitting free insertion or removal of key loops from theslots 32. .When the actuating piece 54 is released, the spring .45 returns the bar and its projections 44 to the locking position.

Referring to HQ. 3, it will be seen that the locking or unlocking of all the key support elements, carried in each closure member, may be controlled by manipulation of a single actuating piece. Moreover, the actuating pieces in both closure members are disposed in the same relative position; in the embodiment shown, both the actuating pieces are located at the right hand side of their respective closure members for conventient operation.

This invention provides a key arrangement which utilizes substantially the full width of each closure memher for uniform and widely spaced distribution of all the keys carried in the case. The relatively large space provided on both sides of each key facilitates the visual and manual selection of any key carried in the case. Moreover, it will be realized that this invention provides improved key distribution and arrangement even when the case is closed. This results from the fact that the keys are supported by the cover members in two orderly groups. This orderly spaced arrangement of the keys is shown in FIG. 3. As the closure members are swung together, the arrangement will be maintained resulting in an orderly overlapping of the key rows. Even if the keys should become disarranged however, upon opening the case, they will assume the orderly widely spaced arrangement shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, the abovedescribed advantages of this invention are achieved without material increase in the bulk or size of the case over comparable conventional type cases.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A key case comprising a pair of cover members hinged together along one side edge for swinging movement toward and away from each other, providing a key confining chamber when in case closing relation, key support plates identical in construction, one disposed adjacent the upper edge of each of said cover members and extending generally the full width of the cover members, each of said plates comprising a plurality of key loop support elements projecting outwardly of the inner surfaces of said cover members and individually spaced at intervals across said cover members not less than the length of a support element measured in a direction along said plate, the support elements carried by one cover member being in staggered relation to the support elements of the other cover member when the case is closed to provide for interdigitation of said elements.

2. A key case as set forth in claim 1 in which said support elements are provided with openings for the insertion and removal of key loops and said key support plates including means ,for locking said loops in place, said locking means including actuating members disposed at corresponding ends of said plates when the case is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,474,315 Carmel Nov. 13, 1923 1,797,664 Lorber Mar. 24, 1931 1,908,846 Howe May 16-, 1933 2,114,172 Boden Apr. 12, 1938 2,878,851 Nash Mar. 24, 1959 2,968,176 Collings Jan. 17, 1961 

